Great quote from the book 'Net Magic', by Lee Siegel: “I’m writing a book on magic,” I explain, and I’m asked, “Real magic?” By real magic people mean

Great quote from the book 'Net Magic', by Lee Siegel: “I’m writing a book on magic,” I explain, and I’m asked, “Real magic?” By real magic people mean miracles, thaumaturgical acts, and supernatural powers. “No,” I answer: “Conjuring tricks, not real magic.” Real magic, in other words, refers to the magic that is not real, while the magic that is real, that can actually be done, is not real magic. The parallel is limited, of course, because you can be employed in a "real job" / "regular job". But the point is, when people say "real job" they don't mean that other jobs are not real things, they mean that they don't fully have the property of job-ness. And I'd argue that they're right, and that's exactly why many people don't want to have a "real job". Some people want a job that has only SOME of the properties of job-ness. (some of the properties of "job-ness": pays enough to raise a family, has reasonable security, has the thing they call "benefits", telegraphs information about you to people who want to make a snap judgement about you (including e.g. your extended family), keeps you busy from 8am to 6pm, gives you a defined social role and a defined social context)